brain shot
12-05-2007, 09:54 AM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 1,401
RE: brain shot
Actually there is a big difference anatomically between pigs and deer.
A deer has huge lungs in porportion to their body size and you have a very large target to hit that will kill them quickly and humanely by shooting right behind the front shoulder. They have a relatively small head in porportion to their body size and smaller brain than an adult pig. You are probably looking at a 3" target on a deer head shot compared to a 6"-8" target shooting for their lungs.
A pig has tiny little lungs tucked in low and their front shoulder covers up most of the heart and lungs. If you don't hit them perfectly you are going to ruin alot of meat and or miss the vitals completely and never find the pig. A pig has a large head and a big brain. Plus the way their spine comes out of their head gives you some additional margin of error there. You actually probably have a larger target shooting at a pig with a brain shot than trying to hit their lungs aiming behind their front shoulder. I would guess you have about a 4" target shooting at a pigs head vs. a 3" target shooting at their lungs if you don't want to shoot up the front shoulder. Also pigs have a reputation for being pretty hard to kill and running a long way after being shot so a brain shot seems a lot better than trying to track a wounded pig through heavy brush.
That's my 2 cents.
Nathan
A deer has huge lungs in porportion to their body size and you have a very large target to hit that will kill them quickly and humanely by shooting right behind the front shoulder. They have a relatively small head in porportion to their body size and smaller brain than an adult pig. You are probably looking at a 3" target on a deer head shot compared to a 6"-8" target shooting for their lungs.
A pig has tiny little lungs tucked in low and their front shoulder covers up most of the heart and lungs. If you don't hit them perfectly you are going to ruin alot of meat and or miss the vitals completely and never find the pig. A pig has a large head and a big brain. Plus the way their spine comes out of their head gives you some additional margin of error there. You actually probably have a larger target shooting at a pig with a brain shot than trying to hit their lungs aiming behind their front shoulder. I would guess you have about a 4" target shooting at a pigs head vs. a 3" target shooting at their lungs if you don't want to shoot up the front shoulder. Also pigs have a reputation for being pretty hard to kill and running a long way after being shot so a brain shot seems a lot better than trying to track a wounded pig through heavy brush.
That's my 2 cents.
Nathan
12-05-2007, 10:46 AM
#22
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 261
RE: brain shot
ORIGINAL: jkelly
I think alot of people view a head shot on deer as a "risky" shot, lots of stories of bad shots and blown up jaws that cause a deer to run off and starve to death. Deer are typically revered and it bugs a hunter to wound one and not find it, if you can confidently make a head shot do it, it's your call. Pigs on the other hand, well they are pigs. Nuisance animals that don't get much respect. JMHO
I think alot of people view a head shot on deer as a "risky" shot, lots of stories of bad shots and blown up jaws that cause a deer to run off and starve to death. Deer are typically revered and it bugs a hunter to wound one and not find it, if you can confidently make a head shot do it, it's your call. Pigs on the other hand, well they are pigs. Nuisance animals that don't get much respect. JMHO
12-05-2007, 11:42 AM
#25
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location:
Posts: 404
RE: brain shot
Like was mentioned Hogs have a different makeup from most animals and it is very easy to shoot too high or too far back.
Squirrels if your using a .22,just waste alot less meat.
Fur bearing animals head shots does less damage to the fur.
Me if the Head is all I have on a Deer thats what I will take.
big rockpile
Squirrels if your using a .22,just waste alot less meat.
Fur bearing animals head shots does less damage to the fur.
Me if the Head is all I have on a Deer thats what I will take.
big rockpile
12-05-2007, 01:40 PM
#26
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wall SD USA & Jamestown ND
Posts: 11,474
RE: brain shot
I CAN'T SEE A THING WRONG WITH THE BRAIN SHOT AS LONG AS THE HUNTER CAN PUT THE BULLET THERE. I HAVE DONE IT MANY TIMES ON CLOSE IN SHOTS. NEVER HAD ONE DO ANYTHING BUT DROP IN ITS TRACKS.
12-05-2007, 03:45 PM
#28
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manassas, VA
Posts: 3,612
RE: brain shot
There is absolutely no reason you should aim for the head when you shoot...goodness. If you have a good "boiler room" shot, why take the chance at blowing a deer's jaw off? For some reason people shooting deer in the head bothers me....maybe it is just me.
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